2013 NBA Draft Preview: Myck Kabongo’s The Next Tony Parker

Once Jay-Z sells his shares in the Brooklyn Nets, Myck Kabongo may want to hire him as an agent.

Once Jay-Z sells his shares in the Brooklyn Nets, Myck Kabongo may want to hire him as an agent. In high school, Kabongo (aka Yung Swag) described himself as a cross between J. Cole and Drake. On the hardwood, Kabongo’s quicksilver crossover and penetration ability are his strengths, and he’s the ultimate emcee on the offensive end.

Like most point guards coming out of school, Kabongo’s jumper is his kryptonite. Even though he’s a pass-first point guard, that’s a concern. However, once he gets a skilled supporting cast around him that doesn’t require him to shoulder the scoring load, and a better X’s-and-O’s coach than Rick Barnes, Myck (pronounced Mike) Kabongo’s commonly mispronounced name may be on everybody’s tongues.

The tape on Kabongo’s sophomore year is short. It’s not his fault. Blame Kabongo’s recent run-in with the NBA. After declaring for the NBA Draft last season, Kabongo participated in draft workouts, but ultimately returned to school without hiring an agent, with the intent of improving his draft grade after his sophomore season.

However, the NCAA began digging into his financials and discovered he’d borrowed money from high school teammate and current Cavalier Tristan Thompson to pay for a trip to New York City. By the time he’d hit the court again, 23 games had passed, Texas was out of NCAA Tournament contention and Kabongo was a forgotten prospect.

What the 6´2 Kabongo does have to his advantage are sick handles, the dexterity to keep the ball on a string off the dribble, next-level court vision and above-average size. The Toronto native is just another sign of the impending Canadian hoops invasion.

Kabongo should go in the late-first or early second round, but watching Tony Parker put flustered defenders in the spin cycle off the dribble should keep Kabongo optimistic about his career outlook. Like Parker, Kabongo is entering the draft as an afterthought at point guard, but his Barry Sanders-like spin move to the basket and balance should allow him to excel.